Vegetarian Chili with Cornbread Topping

This was a new one for me. Yes I’ve made plenty of chili in my day and quite a few batches of corn bread. But to combine the two into one dish is something I felt it was time to try. And why not? We all know how much I love one pot meals. Less time management, less clean up, and less to keep organized in my brain as I’m chasing Lou around the house. And the end result was extremely tasty. This is another recipe I will be adding in to my repertoire as the weather starts to cool down.

You can really keep this simple if you desire. I used onion, garlic, sweet potato, black beans, mild green chili salsa, and seasonings for the chili. But you really can go any direction you’d like, adding in peppers, more vegetables, or meat. This vegetarian version was really perfect though. For the cornbread topping I added in a can of green chili’s and shredded cheese to add some flare. I had intended to add in fresh chopped cilantro too but I forgot. You can’t win them all. This bakes up beautifully. The corn bread was lightly browned and crisp on top, the chili plenty flavorful on the bottom.

Vegetarian Chili with Cornbread Topping

medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

small sweet potato, diced

2 cans black beans, drained

1 1/2 cups salsa, I used mild green chili salsa but you can use whatever suits your desire

s&p

1/2 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 tablespoon oregano

1/2 tablespoon cumin

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 cup oil (not olive)

1 cup shredded cheese

1 can green chili’s

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 425°.

In a 10″ skillet heat up a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. When warm add the onion and garlic. Cook until they start to soften about 5 minutes.

Add the sweet potato and black beans. Mix well.

Stir in the salsa, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Season with s&p. (My seasoning measurements are approximate). Turn heat to low.